Gold Plus Extended Warranty -- worth it?

aatherton · May 2012

It does not cover accidental damage. It is not insurance.
http://www.subaru.com/owners/resource-center/added-security/index.html

algetcha · August 2012

Excellent coverage on everything but maintenance. Funny how people think a service contract should cover their maintenance - that's not what they're for. Negotiate a fair price - offer a hundred over cost. All Subaru Added Security contracts dealer cost = 1/2 MSRP. How's that for your new direction ?

aatherton · August 2012

"Funny how people think a service contract should cover their maintenance..."

Repair contract is probably a more accurate description of the Subaru extended warranty.

pepsi1977 · September 2012

ifontaine--

if you didn't purchase the warranty from Joe Gingras, do you mind me askingwhere you bought? I want the GoldWarranty, 7year/100k/0 deductible warranty.

Thanksfor any help!

ps i guess some places tack on doc prep/taxes/etc. which ultimately brings the price up? Doesn't seem Joe or Mastria was going to do that?

xwesx · September 2012

I picked up the same warranty from Mastria last December. He quoted a few dollars under $1500, but I paid with Subaru Bucks, so we made it $1500 even (you can't get change back when paying with Bucks, and they come in $100 increments).

ifontaine · September 2012

@Pepsi1977....

I did buy my warranty from Joe Gingras at Roto Subaru in Illinois. I had pursued 4 or 5 different quotes for the 5/100,000 $50 deductible, and Joe and Don were the most personable people that I dealt with. You can go back to post# 79 if you want to see my details.

Mine was $922 out the door. No tax, no doc fees, etc.

Good luck!

pepsi1977 · September 2012

Thank you so much for the information. (I'll find out what a "Subaru Buck" is from Mastria

Sounds great)

xwesx · September 2012

Hahah; sorry! Subaru Bucks are a "rewards" program through a Chase Mastercard. It provides 3% of all purchases toward a $100 rewards certificate. On the billing period in which the accumulated 3% exceeds $100, a certificate is mailed with the billing statement. A single account can accumulate up to $500 per year (the accumulation is frozen at that point until the billing period after the starting month). The certificates are currently good for 48 months after their issue date.

They can be used toward the purchase of a new Subaru vehicle, Subaru parts or accessories, labor on a Subaru vehicle, or an extended warranty. They are good in any continental US state (including Alaska).

ateixeira · September 2012

I have $500 saved up. :shades:

IIRC we got $1400 off our Forester, and it's like cash so after the price was agreed upon.

pepsi1977 · September 2012

How does this sound?

$1301 7yr 100k Gold Warranty $0 deductible (Joe/Roto)

No doc or tax fees extra. IF I want 10 payment plan there is a $79 surcharge (ie $1301 plus $79)

Seems good?

Don/Mastria hasn't returned my calls yet from this morning...Joe/Roto was right on it. Perhaps prices have gone up in last 6 months because it seems that last I checked the prices were aout $150 less 6 months ago? Does that seem right?

xwesx · September 2012

I don't know for sure. To me, the price quoted by Roto sounds great. That said, the MSRP of the warranties varies by model and model year. Mine was for a 2010 Forester X Premium.

The options presented to you by Roto were the exact same as those presented to me when I worked with Mastria last year (e.g., ten payments with a finance/service charge of $79).

pepsi1977 · September 2012

cool. i'll go with Joe

(still haven't heard from Mastria....)

pepsi1977 · September 2012

I ended up doing the warranty in 10 payments--has anyone had a problem with a warranty repair where the dealer didn't want to honor the warranty because it wasn't "paid for"/still making payments? I'm just wondering...it came up in conversation with Joe....(?)

dcm61 · September 2012

That said, the MSRP of the warranties varies by model and model year.

The base warranty price is the same for any "new" (still under 3/36 warranty) Subaru.

The following surcharges may apply:
6 cylinder = $95
Turbocharged = $295
STi = $495

xwesx · September 2012

I have had issues with my local dealer honoring the warranty simply because they are obnoxious, but it had nothing to do with the warranty itself. If you have any issues at all, just contact Subaru directly and inform them of your concerns.

deltwelve · September 2012

After all the research I put into buying a new car (2013 Legacy), I hadn't prepared for the extended warranties. I ended up getting the 6/60 Added Security Plan w/ $50 deductible and the 2/24 Maintenance Plan for a combined $1,860. We are low mileage (5-7k/yr) mostly city drivers. The dealer said their current cost for the 7,500, 15,000, and 22,500 mile service totals about $880, so the Security Plan was an additional ~$1,000 (and the cost of paying up front). There were some additional goodies, like oil changes for life (well, 25 changes, which for us will be 25 yrs...).

Another issue is I was told that the deductible only kicks in after year 3. I assume this is because the first 3 years are under the standard warranty, but I was also told that the Added Security Plan covers more during years 2 and 3 than the basic plan, so it looks like there could be a deductible during those years.

Looks like I have 90 days to cancel. I like the peace of mind, but feel like I got rolled when I was not prepared to discuss the warranties. Thoughts?

ateixeira · September 2012

You also get 3 extra years of roadside assistance.

I think you did OK given you essentially pre-paid for several years of maintenance.

xwesx · September 2012

From that aspect, I guess it is okay, but you also PREPAID for that maintenance, so saying those cost $880 out of pocket combined should not equate to paying that much up front. I'd say valuing that at more like $600 is more reasonable.

I don't think you were "rolled," but the dealer is definitely making good money on this deal. Like you said, though, peace of mind counts for a lot.

On a 6/60 warranty, what you get is the extra roadside assistance, some small benefits on the extended that are more limited within the standard bumper-to-bumper (read the warranty details for the details!) - yes, these are subject to the deductible - and one year added warranty on the drivetrain components.

What I would do is call Rota Subaru, find out what they'd sell a 6/60 with $50 deductible for, add $600 to it, and see where that puts you as compared to what you paid. If you're over significantly, I'd talk to the selling dealer about converting the plan to a zero deductible or threaten to cancel and buy elsewhere.

You might have prepaid all that maintenance, but you could also pocket that money now and make better use of it.

deltwelve · October 2012

Well, I was able to get $700 back and convert it to the zero deductible plan (still 6/60, and 2/24 maintenance), so I feel much better about it now.

xwesx · October 2012

Nicely done! :shades:

ksdjwd · November 2012

Thanks for the referral to Joe. Can you share his email?

jacksan1 · November 2012

Just bought a 2013 Outback and, after saying no to our dealer's pitch on the Subaru extended warranty, we are rethinking.

Does anyone here have access to a copy of the actual contract for the Subaru Added Security, with all the terms, conditions and limitations? It is not the brochure or the webpage, but the actual "fine print" of the contract that we are looking for. Does anyone know where to find this contract document?

Thanks in advance.

rustythepuppy · November 2012

kendall in fairbanks offered 7/100,000 gold + for $2990 for my 11 forester with 27,000 (2 yrs). i intend to drive it until the wheels fall off, but am unsure if I should spend that money. i can purchase the added security for $840 for 80,000 directly from subaru. i would appreciate your feedback!!

ateixeira · November 2012

$3k is too much for any warranty. That's the cost of the catastrophe you're trying to protect yourself from.

$840 is more like it, plus it includes roadside assistance and that's worth something.

xwesx · November 2012

$2,990 for the 7/100 (zero deductible) is pretty much MSRP, if not MSRP exactly. I purchased that same Subaru Gold Plus warranty for $1,500 even through Mastria Subaru last December on my '10 Forester. It had about 35,500 miles on it at the time.

Kendall didn't want to deal with me, either. They never have (Kendall or Auto Svc before them), actually, which is why I still haven't purchased a car from them. That said, I used Subaru Bucks for my warranty, so it didn't cost me a penny. The man at Mastria actually quoted me a few dollars under the $1,500 mark, but I couldn't have any of the residual back, so I told him to just write it up at $1,500 even.

I do have to fight with Kendall about what constitutes a warranty item, though, which is probably hassle I could have avoided if I had drank their Kool Aid. Basically, we're stuck with them for service by virtue of our isolated location, but we have nearly infinite choices for everything else!

ateixeira · November 2012

They vary by state, but you can call 1-800-932-0636 for a free copy.

rlgrabar1 · November 2013

I am looking at the 2014 Forester. Unfortunately we have only one Subaru dealer here in the Vegas area. What I am interested in is the gold plus extended warranty. I am a wheelchair bound disabled Marine so I need the piece of mind. Does anyone know a Subaru dealer that sells this gold plus warranty at a reasonable price?

iblue · December 2013

I already make a deposit, I will get the subaru 2.0 XT premium, I am from NY I want to purchase extended warranty 7 year/100k I dont mind with the deductible, but I will like to know how much cost it is the warranty for deductible $0 or $50 and $100. Do i have to purchase the warranty within your state or it work the same warranty with any other dealer from different state.

xwesx · December 2013

You can purchase from any dealer, any state. The costs varies widely, and can also vary by model and year, so the best thing you can do is shop a few quotes. I wouldn't pay more than $1,500 for a 7/100 w/ zero deductible.

iblue · December 2013

Hi xwesx I did not purchase the car yet, where I can get price of the quote without giving the VIN number( dont have the car yet) I already request to my current dealer they are charging 100K/7 year 100 deductible for $2000.00 and the 0 deductible $2700.00. do you know any good website or places i could call so i can bargain the price.

xwesx · December 2013

Check out previous discussion in this thread (2010 and 2011 were active years for the board, if I recall correctly). I purchased mine (for a 2010 Forester) from Mastria Subaru in Massachusetts (I live in Alaska). I was quoted a little under $1,500, but paid an even $1,500 since I was paying with Subaru Bucks.

I think $2,700 is the full MSRP, so shoot for more on the order of 50-60% of that. The dealers you're working with now have the capacity to deal on these things, so if they want your business, make them work for it!

You can buy the warranty at any point prior to the expiration of the 3/36, so no need to rush. The advantage (or disadvantage?) of doing so as part of the sale is that you can roll it into the vehicle loan, but then that's even more incentive to pay less up front since 1., you don't benefit from most provisions until expiration of the 3/36, and 2., you'll end up paying interest on the amount you finance.

iblue · December 2013

Thanks fast reply, I will try to bargain the price to 1500 and below, but they may ask for any source where i see so cheap the price. Do you have any link that I could see a estimates of the price and the package. Do you know if the gold package is come standard or there are some option you need to choose? I saw you purchase the car since 2010, do you think it is worth to extend the warranty?

xwesx · December 2013

Sorry for the delay. You likely won't find any place where you can just pull a link and get an online estimate, but I'm sure you'll find good prices at Mastria and a couple others. I think one dealership was Joe something, in the midwest, and there was another that someone mentioned in Arizona. Once you have dealership names, it is a pretty easy task to find them online and call for a quote.

As far as whether it is worth it.... I paid $1,500, using Subaru Bucks (eg, zero out-of-pocket expense), in December 2011. Thus far, we used the warranty once.

Our car, a 2010 Forester X Premium with ~70,000 miles on it, was purchased mid-Sept of 2009. So, the car is out of warranty on both B2B and powertrain at this point, but still has almost three years of warranty through the 7/100 Gold Plus. While there are a couple things that I think should be repaired under this warranty, such as leaking (oil) head gaskets (I have to fight with the dealership on this issue because they refuse to acknowledge the issue. So, I'm waiting to let them worsen a bit more (makes their position of denial more tenuous).), we did have a massive oil leak spring up a few months ago while on a transcontinental trip.

It started, with a tiny drip, when were in in PA (about 65000 miles into the trip), and was up to nearly a quart of oil loss per fuel up by the time we had it fixed, in Pasco, WA, at about 9000 miles into the trip. Since we had over 63,000 miles on the car at this point, it would have been an out of pocket repair if we did not have the warranty. As it was, we paid nothing aside from the $90 timing belt that I asked they go ahead and replace while they had it out.

In addition to the zero deductible, the warranty also includes towing assistance and trip interruption. In our case, it worked out nicely that we were stopping in that area for a few days to visit family, but had we not been and it got to the point of "we HAVE to fix this now," we could have received some reimbursement for our trouble.

So, I think it was worth it. I probably would have pondered it a little more closely had we paid out of pocket for it, but just that mid-trip repair made the whole thing worth it to me. Otherwise, I would have fixed it myself, which means I would have had at least a day of dirty, greasy work at some less-than-ideal location and with a limited supply of tools (I only brought my basic kit on the trip). Fun stuff, but while on vacation?! I'll pass, if possible!

imaginary · December 2013

And the Subaru Bucks are going away eventually too, unfortunately. Chase and Subaru aren't offering it anymore. They've also told dealers to stop advertising the card since it's going away.

xwesx · December 2013

Oh, no! Do you know if they have set a date for when the bucks can no longer be generated or, more importantly, when they will no longer be accepted?! Currently, they have a 4-year life span. I has me plans for these things!

snowbelter · December 2013

According to a Seattle salesperson's website, the program will end on September 30, 2014, and Subaru bucks will expire after four years (same as now). Until September 30, you will still be able to earn bucks, but no new applications for cards will be accepted.

xwesx · December 2013

Ah, lame. But, thanks for the info! That will give me enough time to get into max rotation anyway ($4K in bucks with oldest certificates about to expire), so I'll need to decide what to do with them at that point anyway.

And, it gives me some time to think about replacement programs for my current cards. Given Subaru's product direction, it's good timing.

pcguru2000 · April 2014

There's a 3500 and a 7500 mile maintenance package. under normal conditions the oil would be changed at 7500 miles. If I'm driving in extreme condtions, requiring that the oil get changed at 3500, and I get the 7500 mile maintenance package, does this mean that I have to pay for the oil change at 3500 then?

Anyone know how the roadsize assistance compares to AAA in terms of service and out of pocket costs? I currently have the package that allows towing for up to 150 miles and 6 or 8 service calls a year. Do you guys know how far they will tow you to a subie dealership if you are in the middle of nowhere? Would I be able to piggy back the AAA coverage with the subie coverage?

xwesx · April 2014

Well, I haven't actually made use of the roadside assistance (happily!) or towing, but Subaru was quite responsive with regard to extended warranty service while my family was on vacation this past September. We ended up having an issue that was serious, but did not (yet) render the car unusable. Thankfully, we were in an area that was near (60 miles) a Subaru dealership, and they got us in during our three-day stay.

The dealership was great, they did the work quickly (in at 0800 and out by 1500), and the extended warranty coverage would have paid "trip interruption" on the rental car we had for a few hours that afternoon had we requested it.

As far as the service intervals, you would need to be operating under seriously "severe" conditions to warrant the 3500 interval. I typically run my oil 10-15,000 miles per interval, which is annual (except for this year when I changed it again after our 12,500-mile, 5-week trip), and my oil analysis confirms every time that I could have ran it longer. What's more, we definitely operate it in an environment and manner that would constitute "severe" according to the schedule.

After 70,000 miles and six oil changes, I will confidently say that you're throwing away money and resources if you decide to change your oil on a 3,500-mile schedule, especially if you monitor your car's fluid levels and use high-quality filters and lubricants.

Gold Plus Extended Warranty -- worth it?

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